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Treatments and drugs
By Mayo Clinic staffIf tinea versicolor is severe or doesn't respond to over-the-counter antifungal medicine, you may need a prescription-strength medication. Some of these medications are topical preparations that you rub on your skin, while others are pills that you swallow. Examples include:
- Ciclopirox (Loprox, Penlac) cream, gel or lotion
- Fluconazole (Diflucan) tablets
- Itraconazole (Onmel, Sporanox) capsules or tablets
- Ketoconazole (Extina, Nizoral, others) cream, foam, gel, shampoo or tablets
- Selenium sulfide (Selsun) 2.5 percent lotion or shampoo
Even after successful treatment, your skin color may remain uneven for several weeks, or even months. Also, the infection may return in warm, humid weather. In persistent cases, you may need to take a medication once or twice a month to prevent the infection from recurring.
References
- Habif TP. Clinical Dermatology: A Color Guide to Diagnosis and Therapy. 5th ed. Edinburgh, U.K.; New York, N.Y.: Mosby Elsevier; 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/about.do?about=true&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-7234-3541-9..X0001-6--TOP&isbn=978-0-7234-3541-9&uniqId=230100505-57. Accessed Feb. 16, 2012.
- Goldstein BG, et al. Tinea versicolor. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Feb. 16, 2012.
- Ferri FF. Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2012: 5 Books in 1. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2012. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/about.do?about=true&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05611-3..C2009-0-38601-8--TOP&isbn=978-0-323-05611-3&uniqId=291436269-101. Accessed Feb. 16, 2012.
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